Vol. 758 No. 1
1Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staff in his Department availing of the early retirement scheme; the positions they held; if they will be replaced; if services will be affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7779/12]
2Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the way his Department is being decreased in size to transform into a Cabinet office that oversees the delivery of the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9357/12]
3Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staff and grades they hold in his Department in March 2011 and in February 2012 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9358/12]
4Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staff and grades held that are employed in the Government Information Service and those who service MerrionStreet.ie; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9359/12]
5Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of persons who will be given the responsibility for the implementation of the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs in his Department; if there will be additional persons recruited or if they will be transferred from other Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9361/12]
6Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of speech writers he has that do not normally work in his Department; the way they are paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9364/12]
7Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number due to leave his Department under the early retirement scheme by the end of February; the grades of same; if they will be replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10764/12]
8Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the progress that has been made to transform his Department into a Cabinet office to streamline Government and oversee the implementation of the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11049/12]
9Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach the number of persons that will be given responsibility in his Department for the implementation of the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs; if additional persons will be recruited or will they come from other Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12520/12]
10Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach the number of staff who were to leave his Department under the retirement scheme by the end of February; their grades; if they will be replaced;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12521/12]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together.
Following the restructuring completed in 2011, my Department is now engaged on core activities which focus on supporting the Taoiseach and supporting the Government.
The Department has undergone significant change in the past 12 months. A new Economic Management Council, a new Programme for Government Office and a new Office of the Tánaiste, within the Department of the Taoiseach, have been established.
The Cabinet Committee structure has been changed. Other significant changes include a new integrated European affairs division, involving the transfer of 18 staff and functions from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Department of the Taoiseach; the transfer of 27 staff and functions relating to public service reform from the Department of the Taoiseach to the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the adoption of a different approach to social dialogue by the new Government, which replaces the previous social partnership process and places a greater emphasis on the role of line Departments rather than a centralised process managed by the Department of the Taoiseach.
Following the restructuring completed in 2011, my Department is now engaged in the following core activities: the executive functions of the Taoiseach and the Government; the Government secretariat, my private office and the offices of the Government Chief Whip and the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs; the Office of the Tánaiste; the Government press office; support for the Taoiseach in carrying out my duties as Head of Government, including in relation to the Oireachtas, constitutional issues, protocol, the European Council, the North/South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council; engaging with the formulation and implementation of Government policy, mainly through the system of Cabinet committees, including the Economic Management Council, senior officials groups and the new Programme for Government Office; providing briefing and advice for me on the full range of domestic policy issues and on international affairs; supporting the Government and myself in the formulation and implementation of EU policy, including the co-ordination of EU policy interests across the whole of Government; and delivering support services through corporate affairs division, that is, HR, finance, IT and other services.
All of these functions are carried out within a staff ceiling of 185, which will rise temporarily to over 200 arising from Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 2013. Overall, there has been a reduction in staff numbers of 20% since January 2008. It should also be borne in mind that my Department is the smallest Department, with an annual budget of under €20 million.
The details requested in regard to staff numbers in my Department in March 2011 and to date are set out in the table, which I propose to circulate with the Official Report. I am also proposing to circulate with the Official Report the details requested regarding the number of staff employed in the Government Information Service and www.merrionstreet.ie. Two staff from Forfás are on loan to my Department to work on the implementation of the action plan for jobs.
My advisors work closely with the civil servants in my Department on the preparation of speech material. One of my personal assistants is involved in this process and works on an e-working basis. Three members of staff in my Department retired in February 2012, comprising one principal officer, one executive officer who work-shared and one head service officer. The staffing needs of my Department are kept under ongoing review in order to ensure that it meets its objectives, and sanction has been received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to fill a small number of vacancies through internal competitions.
|
Grade |
Number of WTEs Employedin March 2011 |
Number of WTEs Employedat end February 2012 |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
1 |
|
Second Secretary General |
0 |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
4 |
3 |
|
Principal Officer |
13.6 |
7 |
|
Counsellor |
0 |
2 |
|
Assistant Principal |
22.4 |
18.4 |
|
First Secretary |
0 |
3 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
22.3 |
24.2 |
|
Administrative Officer |
8 |
4 |
|
Third Secretary |
0 |
4 |
|
Executive Officer |
20.2 |
23.2 |
|
Staff Officer |
10.43 |
7.83 |
|
Clerical Officer |
39.5 |
36.3 |
|
Support Staff |
19.58 |
18 |
|
Special Advisers |
5 |
5 |
|
Personal Assistants |
7 |
6 |
|
Personal Secretary |
3 |
3 |
|
Government Press Secretary |
1 |
1 |
|
Deputy Government Press Secretary and Head of GIS |
1 |
1 |
|
Assistant Government Press Secretary |
0 |
1 |
|
Press Officers |
3 |
5 |
|
Civilian Driver to Leader of the Seanad |
1 |
1 |
|
Total |
182.01 |
175.93 |
Merrionstreet.ie
|
Grade |
Number of WTEs Employed |
|
Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Deputy Government Press Secretary and Head of GIS |
1 |
|
Assistant Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Press and Information Officer |
1 - (AP) |
|
Press Officers |
1 - (AP)3 - (HEO)1 - (AO) |
|
Executive Officer |
3 |
|
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Clerical Officer |
3 |
|
Total |
16 |
I asked six of the questions in this block of ten questions. Rather than spending too much time on this aspect, it is worth noting from the information the Taoiseach has supplied that his promise to slim down the Department of the Taoiseach radically has clearly been abandoned and the same goes for his nine-year promise to get rid of what he used to call the propaganda units in the Government Information Service. This is very similar to the "not another red cent"-type promises he made, which were only designed to last as long as the election itself. As the Taoiseach knows, he had very strong stuff to say about www.merrionstreet.ie and the GIS but he very quickly and warmly embraced them and continues to endorse their output and work.
The other key issue the Taoiseach alluded to, and it is the biggest change that has occurred, is the transfer of the European division from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to his own Department, with over 80 staff. I questioned this at the time in terms of coherence and integration with the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade itself. The logic of that decision has never been clear because, even up to that period, the co-ordination of European policy was very effective and was acknowledged as such.
The core network we rely upon in our relations with our European partners remains within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I am sure the Taoiseach is aware the Tánaiste has reinstated a European affairs section in Iveagh House, led by an assistant secretary. Will the Taoiseach explain how he considers it an improvement to have two sections in two different Departments responsible for co-ordinating European affairs? In many ways this was an inevitable consequence of his decision to take the entire entity of European affairs to the Department of the Taoiseach. In addition, if questions are asked of the Taoiseach on the North or on European affairs, why are some of them automatically referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade?
I do not know why some of them are automatically referred. Obviously, it depends on the nature of the question. I am quite happy to answer questions in respect of Northern Ireland and my responsibilities in that regard.
On the individual programmes of the two parties before the Government was formed, the Deputy is aware that each one had its own view. Obviously, the programme for Government is what we operate from.
As I said, 18 staff of the EU division and their functions were transferred from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Department of the Taoiseach. I discussed this at the very beginning. The point made was that if one wants real co-ordination on an issue that now crosses all Departments, given we have a changed situation in so far as Europe is concerned as well as the impending Presidency, one is better to have it co-ordinated and overseen by the Department of the Taoiseach. While senior civil servants are needed from other Departments - I say this with the greatest of respect to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - it is much easier and has greater strength to have it coming from the Department of the Taoiseach, where it is guaranteed that senior personnel will be appointed to the issues of the day, as it were.
In that sense, that suggestion was made to me from personnel within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade itself. From my experience, the appointment of the second Secretary General dealing with the European issues has brought a cohesion and a co-ordination that is very real and responsive. Where issues arise of European significance and where civil and public servants from other Departments are required to be in attendance, there is always a full response to that because it is coming from the Office of the Taoiseach itself, not just from myself as the person who occupies that office. The impact of it has been very real, in my view, and very responsive in the interests of getting the job done more efficiently and more quickly. I certainly cannot fault the way it is now operating.
I do not know about the Deputy's comment on setting up another section in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Presumably, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has a number of people there in so far as the foreign affairs end of matters is concerned in order to be able to co-ordinate with the Second Secretary General dealing with European affairs in my Department.
I would argue that, across the foreign affairs brief, it is vital there would be a coherence and an integration. It is not just about Europe on its own.
Yes.
It is about how Europe interacts with the emerging countries, including in Asia and South America, and European policy is critical to that relationship with other parts of the world. The idea that a section on European affairs stands alone is misplaced in terms of the conduct of foreign policy. On the evolution of European policy and how it relates to other blocs across the world, it is arguable that an integrated and coherent approach is needed. If the section and the leadership is taken out of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, that connectivity and strong linkage between what is happening in Brussels and Europe is lost in terms of informing the rest of the diplomatic service on the issues.
With regard to the action plan for jobs, the Taoiseach said two staff were seconded from Forfás. I argue that the plan is not radical. It was over-claimed and over-spun, and was very much based on news management of existing proposals given many of the measures were already agreed or were part of strategies that had already been published. The Taoiseach indicated, when he launched the plan with the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, that there would be a radical departure in the co-ordination of policies. How can this be credible if so few people are actually given specific responsibility for it, even in the Taoiseach's Department?
In respect of the jobs action programme, there are 270 action points. It is fair to say some of these have been around for a very long time and were never followed through or implemented. There is a range of new initiatives to improve the atmosphere and the environment in which business can happen and jobs can be created, and to free up the road blocks that business people, entrepreneurs and innovators say are stopping them from doing their business. I get examples of this on a regular basis.
As to what we have decided to do, a senior public servant in my Department has responsibility for jobs, and he has a number of staff working with him. The two I mentioned are additional staff from Forfás who have come into my Department to assist in the work of monitoring implementation of the 270 action points. It is not just these two people on their own. It is a coterie within the Department of the Taoiseach who have responsibility for jobs and the jobs action programme.
As they are further assisted by the addition of two good people from Forfás I, as Taoiseach, working with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, can see to it that on this occasion, the action plan is implemented. That means one puts the pressure on the Ministers to deliver, so far as their responsibility is concerned, and on the agencies, for whom they have responsibility, to ensure this happens. I hope that as we publish a quarterly report on the action points implemented this will improve the environment and atmosphere generally for business and that what small businesses say to the Minister responsible for SMEs, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, me and everybody else will result in improving the position in terms of companies setting up and being able to do their work. Clearly credit access and microfinance are two important matters in this regard.
It is slightly misleading for me to say that there are just two people monitoring this matter. There is a section in the Department of the Taoiseach which has responsibility for the jobs area and they are being supplemented by two internal people from Forfás, redeployed to the Department of the Taoiseach. I hope it bears results and I expect it will.
Tá dhá cheist agam - Ceisteanna Uimh. 7 agus 8 - so leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh le Ceist Uimh. 7 agus tiocfaidh mé ar ais arís le Ceist Uimh. 8. We learned last week that 9,000 staff are leaving the public service. To the surprise of some of his Cabinet colleagues, the Taoiseach spoke about transition teams that were put in place. Are those transition teams in place? An bhfuil siad ag bualadh le chéile go fóill agus cé chomh minic a bhuail siad? Má tá said ag bualadh, cén dul chun cinn atá déanta acu? Has progress been made and how is the transition being managed? From my soundings around health professionals, health workers and so on I have a sense there is no real plan in place to deal with the ongoing crisis in the health service where 4,300 workers are leaving and there are €700 million worth of cuts. It would be useful to get a sense of how the exodus and the cuts are being managed.
The latest figures from across the public service indicate that more than 7,500 people applied to retire in January and February 2012. Those figures are based on data reported by all of the public service employers on the number of retirement applications that have been received. It will take some time for the final figures of actual retirements to be determined, taking into account those who may have changed their mind before 29 February. The sectoral breakdown is as follows: education section, 3,058; the Civil Service, 1,236; the health sector, 2,640; local authorities, 931; Defence Forces, 362; and the Garda 310, amounting to a total of 7,537. Retirement numbers do not always equate with full-time equivalents. While these were taking place over a telescoped period in January and February, rather than a longer time span, local management had to assess and address the level of staff departures and ensure continuity of business and service maintenance. Between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the representatives of sectors and other Departments they have not highlighted any areas of major concern resulting from retirements to mid-February that could not in the main be addressed through redeployment and redistribution of work. In limited cases where critical posts have been identified in front-line services and in key policy areas they may need to be filled to meet business needs.
There was a great deal of public comment about what would happen in respect of the health sector where clearly people on the front-line were opting to retire from the service, causing concern and anxiety that services could not be maintained. The Cabinet sub-committee on health had a meeting with all the regional directors of service who have signed off on plans for each individual hospital. In regard to the issues that arise from week to week, at weekends and issues that had not even been contemplated they have all signed off on their plans. I am pleased to say that full co-operation and flexibility has been shown under the Croke Park agreement by medical teams, clinical teams and nursing staff for which we should be very grateful.
In the education area arrangements are in place for managing the impact of the retirement of teachers, some of whom have been replaced. Retiring teachers of State examination classes can be re-employed until the end of the school year. That is because teachers obviously form a bond with their pupils in the junior and leaving certificate classes and it is important that not be disrupted in the study structure of students as they prepare for the junior and leaving certificate examinations. The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, has been reconfigured into eight rather than ten regions, resulting in the suppression of two regional director posts. In third level, universities and the higher education institutions manage the retirements at the end of February in these institutions in the overall context of managing within the ceilings that have been allocated to them. The same applies in the case of the Garda, prisons, other State Departments, the courts and the Judiciary. Each Minister has an important responsibility in working with the groups on the ground to ensure pressure points are dealt with and relieved in the best way possible. Those are the up-to-date figures I have got. Given that a small number of people change their minds at the last minute that may impact on some of those figures.
I thank the Minister for his reply which is very informative. However, my questions were specifically about the transition teams he announced. To the best of my recollection he did not mention them in the course of that very detailed response to my question. In terms of the crisis in the health service I dealt with the case of a 96 year old lady who was on a trolley for three days in Beaumont Hospital. She was still on the trolley until I asked my office to intervene and, God knows, she could still be there.
The reason we are asking these questions is to try to get the Government working better and to keep it accountable. I raised earlier the issue of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and so on. I have here the question and answer that we dealt with on 23 November. There is something wrong with a Government which gives a specific commitment both in meeting the leaders of the Opposition and coming forward with a request for a commission of inquiry, with which the Taoiseach agreed in opposition and clearly has done nothing about. To say he is still waiting for a response from the Attorney General from November until March on the back of 17 years of campaigning by the people involved shows the Government is not functioning properly.
Question No. 8, which the Taoiseach dealt with in response to the questions from Teachta Martin, asks about the notion of the implementation of the programme for Government and how he is trying to change his Department in order that it becomes a Cabinet office. Are there plans to bring forward reports assessing the progress made on implementation and how is the House informed about these matters? Without wishing to be hankering on this issue, I have raised it four or five times and have been given more or less the same answers. That shows a failure of government. I know it is not deliberate or malicious and that the Taoiseach is genuine and regards this as a serious issue that needs to be dealt with but what dsyfunctionality in government prevents this from proceeding?
There is no dysfunctionality within the Government. I expect to launch tomorrow the report on implementation of the programme for Government to date. A number of the major measures committed to in the programme by both parties have been put in place or are in train. The Deputy will be aware the programme is for a five year period. Ministers are also dealing with a range of serious issues not contained in the programme, some of which are legislative matters, while others arose and had to be dealt with. Completion of work not committed to in the programme will be reflected in the next report. The report I intend to launch tomorrow will detail the actionable measures relevant to each Minister which have been delivered, cannot be delivered or remain to be dealt with into the future.
The Deputy has said the Government has not responded to requests for the establishment of a commission of inquiry. He will be aware that a referendum was held on the issue of Oireachtas committees being given the power to investigate matters of public importance, which clearly this matter is. However, the people did not agree, as is their right. It may well be that they were not given adequate time or sufficient information to absorb what was involved. As stated, this would have been an appropriate matter for an Oireachtas committee to investigate in the public interest. The Minister for Health has sought the advice of the Attorney General on how to proceed. When that advice is to hand, I will make it known to the Deputy and everyone else, including Deputies from the area concerned. In view of the sensitivity attached to and importance of this matter to so many, we must consider how best to proceed in the circumstances. I await the advice of the Attorney General and ask the Deputy to be patient for a little while longer.
I call Deputy Micheál Martin.
May I ask a question related to the issue I have just raised?
It is not an issue on the agenda.
It is related to it.
It has nothing to do with the questions tabled by the Deputy. I have been very lenient. If Deputy Micheál Martin gives way, I will allow the Deputy to ask one more question.
I thank the Ceann Comhairle and Deputy Micheál Martin for giving way and will be brief. The questions I asked on this issue were asked following the referendum and I can quote them if the Taoiseach wishes. He gave a commitment that the Minister for Health would meet the people involved, but that has not happened. He also gave a commitment that he would meet me, as well as other Opposition leaders. He told us previously that there was funding in place when there was not. However, he has rectified that today and told us he was working on that assumption. These are genuine issues.
I do not want to have meetings for the sake of it. I would like there to be a purpose and a conclusion to a meeting, following which we could move on. It might be in everyone's interest to await the advice of the Attorney General's office on this matter. As I said, I had expected that we would be able, following the reversal of the Abbeylara case decision, to have an Oireachtas investigation into this matter of public importance. However, that is not now possible. We must consider what is the best thing to do in the interests of those to whom the Deputy referred who feel hurt, rightly so, at what happened in these horrific cases. From that point of view, I will inform the House and Deputies from the north east as soon as the Attorney General's advice is to hand.
The Taoiseach's response on this issue is disingenuous, given the commission of inquiry legislation which is on the Statute Book which was used effectively in the Cloyne and Dublin inquiries. I would never have thought an Oireachtas inquiry would be suitable in this case. There is ample scope under the existing commission of inquiry legislation to investigate issues such as this professionally and effectively.
On the issue of early retirements, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, spent much of last year praising himself for revolutionising the public sector and strategically planning everything. In reality, there has been a complete failure to prepare strategically in terms of having contingency plans in place to cover vital services. I would appreciate an explanation of why transition teams were an after-thought.
It is clear the commitment to slim down the Taoiseach's Department to a British-style Cabinet Office has been abandoned. If anything, the Department is growing. The Taoiseach has stated the number of staff in his Department will grow to over 200 during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. In this regard, he has used the baseline figure for 2008, which is becoming a habit. The Taoiseach's staff are good at news managment and spinning, which is admirable from a particular vantage point.
A question, please, Deputy.
We are considering recruiting the make-up staff again.
The baseline figure for 2010 would be far more relevant. Be that as it may, it is fair to say the Taoiseach's Department is expanding, which flies in the face of all that was promised in advance of the general election, as I am sure the Taoiseach will acknowledge. Nowhere is this more evident than on the European side.
As I stated previously to the Deputy, all of these functions are performed under a staff ceiling of 185. The Department of the Taoiseach is the smallest and has a budget of only €20 million. The staff include one Secretary General, one Second Secretary General, three assistant secretaries, seven principal officers, 18 assistant principal officers, three first secretaries and staff of various grades.
A commitment was given to reduce staff numbers.
The make-up staff are gone.
The ceiling is 175.9 which is lower than previously. The Department of the Taoiseach is a fit, lean, competent Department which is-----
Expanding.
-----delivering on its objectives in terms of output, as it should.
Who will the Taoiseach grab next?
I said at the time of the appointment of the new Secretary General that the Department would be reformed into a coherent, cohesive, responsive and efficient Department, which it is. The Deputy will appreciate, having served as a Minister in an important Ministry when Ireland last held the Presidency, that it is necessary to recruit temporary staff to deal with Presidency matters during the first half of next year. A great deal of work in that regard is under way.
When in Brussels last week I attended the first tripartite social interaction meeting between the Danish Presidency, the Cypriot Presidency and the Irish Presidency. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the trade unions of Europe and employer and business interests. Staff numbers when Ireland holds the Presidency next year will increase to more than 200 for a period. That aside, the Department is slim and in good shape. Its staff are working hard.
Expanding all the way.
Their noses are to the grindstone. I have put out the word that when the Department of the Taoiseach comes calling-----
Do not worry about my election document, that is all it was.
-----people should be responsive and ready.
Do not worry about commitments or promises. They can ignore them.
They all eat breakfast at home.
11Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the Invest in Ireland Roundtable hosted by former President Bill Clinton in the United States on 9 February 2012. [7939/12]
12Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his trip to the US on 15 February 2012. [9622/12]
13Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to the United States of America. [9628/12]
14Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will detail the corporations and financial institutions he met on his recent visit to the United States. [9629/12]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive, together.
On Thursday, 9 February I attended the Invest in Ireland Roundtable in New York organised and hosted by President Bill Clinton. I am deeply grateful to him for his commitment and efforts to support Ireland as the Government intensifies its national recovery efforts. He promised his assistance to Ireland at the Global Irish Economic Forum held in Dublin Castle last October and delivered on this commitment in New York through top level engagement with a range of US investors and companies. This presented a significant opportunity for the Government to highlight improved investment opportunities in Ireland for existing US investors and leading US executives who do not yet have a substantial business interest here.
One clear message from the Invest in Ireland event hosted by President Clinton was that existing investors had faith in Ireland and the Irish people and our capacity to bring about economic recovery. More generally, there was an acknowledgement that Ireland represents a highly attractive investment opportunity and I expect that over the coming period, IDA Ireland will follow up closely on all the contacts made.
The investment round table was followed by a broader Invest in Ireland forum that was hosted by me, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton. President Clinton also attended and addressed this audience. I briefed members of the Global Irish Network and other friends of Ireland on the round table's outcomes and we discussed further opportunities for deepening economic links between Ireland and the United States. The response again was excellent and I commend all those involved in the Global Irish Network on their ongoing support.
The following week I returned to the United States for a series of further engagements that represented further opportunities to promote Ireland as a place of excellence in which to invest and do business. I also attended a function in aid of the Children's Medical and Research Foundation. Between 15 and 17 February, I visited New York and Boston, where I met more business and political leaders, senior executives of IDA client companies and senior tourism representatives. My key messages were that Ireland is indeed open for business, that the economic strengths which attracted foreign direct investment in the past, in particular from the United States, are even more attractive at present and there never has been a better time for US companies to invest in Ireland and its people, whether they are IDA client companies that already have a presence here and are considering expansion or companies that may be considering investing here for the first time. During my visit, I had meetings in both New York and Boston with senior executives of a number of companies that already have significant investments in Ireland and which employ nearly 10,000 people between them.
In New York, I had a meeting with Mayor Bloomberg in City Hall. I also attended the launch of Tourism Ireland's new marketing campaign and met many senior tourism trade representatives who will be marketing Ireland to their client base across the United States. I visited Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, and during our meeting I took the opportunity of inviting him to lead a trade mission to Ireland. I attended a dinner hosted by the American Ireland Fund at which I met a number of senior executives of companies that are leaders in the financial services industry and other sectors. I also attended a business breakfast hosted by the Irish American Partnership and addressed an audience at an event hosted by Enterprise Ireland for business contacts and clients in Boston and the wider Massachusetts area, including companies in the life sciences, ICT, software and financial services industries. My visits to New York and Boston continued the theme of the Invest in Ireland round table and forum, namely, now is the time to invest in Ireland. Similar to the round table event, I was greatly encouraged by the positive responses I received about Ireland and the potential for future investment. In addition to the economic and business focus of my visits, I took the opportunity of my first visit to Boston as Taoiseach to meet the Irish-American community there and to address students at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on the theme of reasserting Ireland's place in the world.
The Government will continue to ensure that clear and positive messages are conveyed directly to key business and political interests in the United States. It also will use the unique global opportunity of St. Patrick's Day to bring these messages to a wider audience both within the United States and in all our key global markets, namely, now is the time to invest in Ireland's recovery and that we are open for business.
Was the Taoiseach watching events at the RDS at the weekend? I do not mean the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis.
At the RDS.
Yes. Was Deputy Martin at the RDS?
He was apologising to the nation.
To which venue does the Deputy refer?
I refer to the Working Abroad Expo. Quite a few people commented to me about it and I made a special effort to watch a news clip on it. It was graphic testimony to what is happening in this country in that 5,000 or more, mainly young, people were queueing up to find out whether they could get work elsewhere. It is a sign of where we are and of the great haemorrhage of our youth. That said, it shows up both the challenge facing us and the failure of austerity. However, I wish to especially commend the work the Taoiseach has done in the United States. It is a good initiative that I support fully and warmly commend. I also commend and thank President Clinton for his efforts.
However, because the diaspora thinks and cares about home, there are other ways to get them to connect to us. Perhaps the Taoiseach has had the opportunity to raise the possibilities offered by the proposed constitutional convention. I have made this point previously and have written to the Taoiseach in this regard. The diaspora wants to see the country back on track and wishes to be involved in its recovery. There is a perfect opportunity to involve the diaspora in this regard in order that we are not always simply asking them to do things. Instead, there is an opportunity to give them their rights as citizens to vote in presidential elections and so on. I note these are rights enjoyed by citizens of other states. I acknowledge the Taoiseach will have the opportunity to so do around St. Patrick's Day but did he raise the issue of Pat Finucane with anyone as he had promised? He had stated he would raise this issue in the United States. Did the Taoiseach have the opportunity and did he raise these two matters?
I thank the Deputy for his comments regarding the interaction with American business and politics. I also saw the pictures on television showing people who attended the aforementioned expo at the RDS. It is disheartening to see people there, particularly those who are in their 30s and mid-40s, who may be married with families but where unemployment has hit either one or both partners and for whom it is very difficult to make ends meet. This is part of the critical issue faced by the Government and when we get our own public finances in order, clearly we will have more money to invest in important social services such as schools, health or whatever. However, I make the point that I recently visited Cork, where I met representatives of a number of important firms there who informed me there are 800 vacancies in that region for information technology people. Moreover, there are 4,000 vacancies nationwide in the information technology sector. Similarly, I spoke to someone last week who seeks 100 fluent German speakers but such people are not available with the requisite fluency level. This problem was highlighted to me by the French representative at the recent Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment, who told me that although they have 50,000 vacancies in southern France, they do not have the skill mix to meet them. We need an opportunity to discuss these issues rationally in Ireland because the manner in which FÁS used to be structured meant that while it did some good work in a number of areas, it is clear that where people sought particular competencies, they were not always available. In this sense, the change from FÁS to the Department of Education and Skills and the Pathways to Work programme published by the Government hold enormous potential.
I met someone yesterday who has €2 million on the order books and who is seeking money from the bank but the latter has stated it needs that person's house as collateral. This example demonstrates we must have a functioning banking system, which is the reason it is important to bring on stream the legislation for partial loan credit guarantees and the micro-finance agency as effectively as possible. There is nothing wrong in stating we have the wrong skill mix in places. Moreover, there are sectors - not enough, obviously - in which jobs should be filled but those who would fill them are not available from our own resources. This is the reason I commend the Minister for Education and Skills on the range of conversion courses he has put in place. In this context, when we launched the Pathways to Work strategy in the Liberties, it was interesting to talk to people who had been graphic designers, architectural technicians, construction workers or administrative back-up staff but who are changing their career pattern completely with digital training and everything to which that world leads. I have a sense of optimism and hope in this regard.
The Tánaiste and I this week will launch the opportunity for the diaspora to be involved in a global sense in the potential for job creation here in Ireland. I believe the Deputy will find this to be a highly exciting and imaginative proposal, which will be made into a reality, and which came from an entrepreneur here in Ireland. The Deputy will find it to be significant as it will give an opportunity to those who are emigrants abroad or have businesses abroad. One should remember there are 80,000 people employed in Irish-run companies in the United States who may have ideas about job creation here. We will give them this facility, in a digital global sense, to participate in this regard. We discussed the constitutional convention last week and we will have a further meeting on it soon.
I did not raise the issue of the late Pat Finucane when I was in the United States. Most of the meetings in which I was involved related to either business alone or business and politics. I will return to the United States for St. Patrick's Day and I will take the opportunity to raise the matter at that stage in the political forum in which it should be raised. I did not raise it on my recent visit because I was more concerned with dealing with issues such as the economy, our reputational status and the opportunities that exist in respect of investing in Ireland.
President Clinton pointed out that in view of the current demographic in this country - namely, the fact that so many of the population are young - and the potential that exists here, people should give serious consideration to investing in Ireland. Our tax system, talent pool, technological capacity and track record offer an unbeatable package to investors. This package is another reason there is a continuing and strong line of investment from the US - which I welcome - on the part of companies such as PayPal, Ely Lilly, Allergan, etc. It is also responsible for interest being expressed by the Vice President of China. The latter will probably lead the Chinese people, of whom there are approximately 1.4 billion, at some point in the foreseeable future. The Vice President's visit to Ireland was of exceptional significance internationally, particularly as ours was the only country in Europe he visited on his journey home to China. We hope to follow up on what happened last month with a series of visits to China by, for example, Ministers with responsibility for education, the agri sector, jobs and innovation. I hope to take up the Vice President's invitation to visit China at the end of this month.
I welcome the comments the Taoiseach repeatedly made in the United States to the effect that the 2011 budget has been central to restoring international confidence in Ireland. I accept that it would be too much to expect the Taoiseach to acknowledge the fact that he voted and then ran an election campaign against that budget.
Does the Taoiseach agree the deep connections which have been built up over the years with major US investors remain strong and were central to many of the key investment decisions that have been taken? In essence, the foreign direct investment strategy that has been pursued for many years continues to ensure a solid pipeline of inward investment, once the fundamentals relating to corporation taxation, structure, skills and the overall environment for facilitating the conduct of business and industry are right. PayPal, for example, has been operating here for some time and I was delighted with Eli Lilly's recent announcement. The latter also made an announcement of this nature in 2006. I ask the Taoiseach to clarify the position but it seems these and other major US investors involved in producing pharmaceuticals, medical devices and technology remain committed to Ireland. Notwithstanding issues which may arise from time to time, the companies to which I refer tend to comment very favourably on their experience in this country. In particular, they tend to comment strongly on the quality of the skillsets among those who work in the industries to which I refer. In the area of the pharmaceuticals industry and in the context of the relationship with the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, a strong record of compliance has proven to be a key factor in our continuing to attract major investment. Such investments have been made notwithstanding the challenges which the industry faces.
Will the Taoiseach outline what happened at his meeting with the Global Irish Network, a body I established some years ago? There are key individuals on this network who can help us, particularly in respect of the financial services and other sectors of the economy.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if he engaged in discussions with personnel, either political or business, in the United States in respect of the proposals of President Obama and his Administration to alter their country's treatment of the foreign earnings of corporations? Was that matter raised during his visit and did he comment on it? What are the indications emanating from the White House in respect of this proposal?
I agree that the connections which have been in place for so many years, be they in the areas of art, literature, music, politics, business, economics or trade, remain very strong. I recognise that the process relating to foreign direct investment from the United States has evolved from one where we attracted companies which produced computer hardware to a model where a great deal of computer software is now developed and produced here. Ireland provides both an English-speaking launch pad into Europe and a strong legal base. The Deputy is well aware of this and I recognise his association with helping to develop the process to which I refer. As an agency, IDA Ireland has been superb - in the face of intense worldwide competition for investment - in continuing to promote the structures, environment and skills which exist in this country. In that context, I refer again to the package of the four T's - technology, tax, talent and track record - and the importance thereof.
The chief executive of a major company based in California informed me that it sited its European operations in Dublin not just because of the common language, the corporation tax rate or the fact that this is a young and vibrant city but rather as a result of the passion of young people for their work. He further stated that it is their desire to be able to create the future and to be challenged in doing so, which makes them stand out from any of their peers across the globe. I am sure the Deputy will agree this is something of which we, as Irish citizens, can be very proud.
This morning the Government dealt with the issue of a number of US companies here which traditionally have been able to operate their accounting systems without having extra charges imposed on them by means of double accounting systems. The facility that exists in this regard has been extended.
Deputy Martin established the Global Irish Network, which is an important entity. We hope the network will evolve and change to reflect the new circumstances that exist in the US. President Obama's proposals in respect of tax did not emerge until after my visit to America. During the meetings we had, we asked the business people we met to prove how serious they are with regard to what they are doing in Ireland. A number of questions arose with regard to stability in the context of our 12.5% rate of corporation tax. As the Deputy is aware, the Government has been very clear in respect of this matter. There will be no movement in respect of the rate, which is transparent across the board and which gives rise to an actual effective rate of 11.9%. It is clear that American companies in particular welcome certainty, decisiveness and horizons against which they can plan their business. What we had to say on this matter was very much acceptable to and very much accepted by them.
As the Deputy is aware, this is an election year in the United States. The representatives from a number of companies which are big players in America and which have operations in Ireland also understand that fact. They are aware that if the US Administration were to follow through on its proposals in respect of tax, the process that would have to be undergone would be both long and tortuous. When he visited this country last year, President Obama informed me that while the recommendation was being made, he wanted to make it clear that even if the Administration were to follow through on it, the process relating to it would be very long.
During my visit to the US there was some discussion on the corporation tax rate but the main focus was on the fact that Ireland is very much seen as a country about which people are positive and in which they find it beneficial to invest. We hope to keep the link to which Deputy Martin refers very much alive and to be vibrant and energetic about our work in this regard. We inform those in business in the United States and beyond of the decisions being taken by the Government to assist the business sector here. I found the interaction with those involved in business and politics in the US extremely stimulating in the context of their interest in Ireland as a destination for continued investment in the future. The latter is extremely important, not only with regard to the jobs directly created as a result of such investment but also in the context of the knock-on effect for small and medium enterprises here which can provide supplies and facilities for the companies involved.
On skills availability and the 800 placements in the institutes of technology - a matter to which reference has been made for the past five or six months - there are a number of ready-made solutions. It is time for a more hands-on approach from the institutes of technology and the Department of Social Protection to match people with skills. There are people with qualifications who cannot get jobs and there is a mismatch somewhere between the industry on one hand, where there are indications of vacancies that cannot be filled, and people coming to us saying they cannot get a job.
We had this issue before and more than a decade ago we set up a task force for technicians, for example, which involved companies, institutes of technology and the long-term unemployed. We prepared an 18 month programme which got these people off the dole queues and into secure jobs. With a hands-on approach, this could be rectified fairly quickly.
I agree with this. The Deputy would be aware that there were occasions in the past when a company would seek a forklift driver but would be sent a painter or somebody in an entirely different trade. It is a case for the personnel working in the new sectors, both in the Department of Education and Skills in so far as training is concerned, and in the Department of Social Protection where the categories, competencies and experiences of people are known. They must match these elements.
It is most unfortunate when people say they have looked for a job for two or five years and there is nothing for that person. As the Deputy has correctly noted, if they are asked about experience, competencies and what they would like to do, they can be directed to upskilling or a change of direction. It is a case of being imaginative and responsive to the human resources that exist. Rather than referring to this as a live register issue or the number of people unemployed - that figure is way too high - we should consider the resource of people available for employment. I hope that under the new Pathways to Work scheme and training facility in the Department of Education and Skills, the matches can be attained far more quickly. As the Deputy knows, a job can transform a life and bring a whole new change of attitude and confidence. That is where we must focus our energy and activity for the period ahead.
When will Deputy Martin fill the job vacancy he has?
I once again warmly endorse the work being done in the US and it is a matter of the Taoiseach's judgment what issues he wants to raise. Having said that, it is disappointing that he did not get the opportunity to raise the Pat Finucane case. I find that sometimes these matters do not have to be raised publicly, especially if dealing with people who might not necessarily be involved in politics. It can also be done quietly on the side, which sometimes works as well.
The Taoiseach, uniquely, will have the opportunity on St. Patrick's day to meet President Obama, the US Secretary of State and the leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives. He will meet leaders in the labour movement, the arts and business across a spectrum of opinion in the US. Geraldine Finucane, who is Pat Finucane's widow, will also be in the US at that time to campaign, as she has done for over 20 years. I suggest this as an opportunity for the Taoiseach to raise this matter very publicly.
There is also the issue of the so-called illegals, the Irish people who, through no fault of their own, have ended up in the US with no status. We have just referred to at least 100,000 people who have left this country during the Taoiseach's time in the Government. I was in the North on Sunday and there are many other issues of concern there which could usefully be raised. I can drop a note to the Taoiseach on those matters, if that would be helpful.
One must judge when to raise matters like this. It was not appropriate in the circumstances in which I found myself to raise a matter like the Pat Finucane case in a mixture of business and politics, as it would have been of considerable interest to the political side but not to the business side. These parties would have told the story of investment in Ireland or heard of the opportunities that exist here.
As the Deputy is aware, when I met Geraldine Finucane and her family in Belfast, I undertook to raise this matter when I got the opportunity. I will do so because, as I have said to the Deputy and others in the House on many occasions, at Weston Park the agreement was that irrespective of what Judge Cory would decide, the two Governments would act. In this jurisdiction, the Smithwick tribunal was set up following the judgment. Judge Cory made a clear recommendation that there should be a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. I have a difference of opinion with the British Prime Minister on this and, as the Deputy knows, he has appointed a Queen's Counsel to consider the matter. When I met Geraldine Finucane and her family, I undertook to raise this with political representatives in the United States, and I will do so.
With regard to the undocumented, I had a good meeting with representatives of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform in New York. I also spoke to Senators McConnell and Brown from Boston and I met Senator John Kerry. I spoke to Governor Deval Patrick, who is a close acquaintance of President Obama, about the matter. The Deputy is aware of the efforts being made by Senator Schumer and others. There are two Bills going through the legislative process currently, one from the Democratic side and one from the Republican side. The Democratic end has been sort of cleared but neither side can put this through because they need assistance from each other. Clearly, there are political considerations between New York and Boston and, from a Democratic perspective, the holder of the Senate position in Boston.
There is much conversation and activity between both sides and there is an agreement that it could get through but it would need support from both sides. As I have pointed out, it is not for Ireland to interfere in the wrong place but we would greatly encourage the Senators in putting through this proposition. That would only deal with E3 visas, that is, people who may go to the US in future. Neither Bill going through Congress deals with the limbo in which the undocumented find themselves now. We have discussed that on a number of occasions. As it is a year for presidential elections, I cannot see anything happening of any great significance in respect of the undocumented as it feeds to a much bigger problem for undocumented and illegals from other countries. That brings with it its own political sensitivities, particularly in the southern states in America.
We are very happy to engage with the Irish groups and American politicians in encouraging this work. While I hope that a conclusion can be brought in respect of future E3 visas - that is a good proposition - we will have to revisit after the presidential elections the question of the undocumented, not only for Ireland but other countries as well.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.
